The 2026 University of California, Berkeley Visiting Fellowships application process is currently underway. UC Berkeley’s Centre for African Studies, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, is offering two prestigious Visiting Fellowship positions.
Read more about Opportunities
These opportunities are exclusively available to individuals who are residents of African nations and maintain current academic or research roles at African universities, or are associated with research institutions, think tanks, or NGOs.
These fellowships are designed to enable recipients to conduct independent scholarly research, finalise significant academic publications such as journal articles or books, develop professional relationships with UC Berkeley faculty members, and contribute to the Centre’s academic community by providing guidance to Mastercard Foundation Scholars throughout their residency. Each fellowship spans a single semester (four-month period), must begin by Tuesday, January 20, 2026, and cannot be extended or renewed.
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Requirements for Applicants:
Candidates must meet the following criteria:
- Must be current residents of an African nation and maintain institutional affiliation with an African organisation (university, think tank, or NGO).
- Must possess a completed PhD degree at the time of submission.
- Must show evidence of significant potential for meaningful contributions within their academic discipline.
- While research areas are not limited to specific fields, priority consideration will be given to proposals addressing topics such as youth issues, employment, economic sustainability, migration, displacement, technological advancement, democratic processes, and future studies, among related areas.
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How to Apply:
Interested candidates should prepare and submit the following materials to [email protected] :
- Complete curriculum vitae
- Research proposal (maximum 2 pages, references not included in page count)
Application deadline: September 5, 2025. Click HEREÂ to apply.
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